Venetian blind



w. .Ly STUBER VENETIAN BLIND Filed May 2K5, 194i 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lSept. 8, 1942.

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W. J. STUBER VENETIAN BLIND sept. s, 194,2.Y

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ."TIIvl Filed May 25, 1941 Patented Sept. 8, 1942UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VENETIAN BLmn Walter J. Stuber,Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to Carey-MoFall Company, Philadelphia, Pa.,a corporation of Pennsylvania Application May 23, 1941, Serial No.394,928

7 claims. (ci. 15e-17) v l l y the stencil,.Beingitake on the" une 4 4,Fig. 3;

This invention relates to Venetian blinds arranged with a pair of cordsfor elevating the...

bottom rail and the slats of the blind located beyond but adjacent theopposite ends respectively of the bottom rail and the slats.

The invention relates particularly to novel means for pivotallyconnecting the ends of the slats and the ends of the bottom rail to theelevating cords, whereby the bottom rail and the slats may be tiltedtransversely, raised and lowered, without alecting the rectilinearcondition of the cords.

'Ihe primary object of the invention is to provide a Venetian blindwherein each slat may be slat could move lengthwise with respect to thelother slats and be broken when the slats are raised by the cords.

Another object'of the invention is to provide a simple and eicient meansfor anchoring the ends of the elevating cords to the ends of the bottomrail and still provide free tilting action of the bottom rail. l e

The construction and operation of the blind, according to the principlesof the present invention, willfbe fully disclosed hereinafter, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings,

of which:

Fig. 1 is a face view of the upper portion of a Venetian blind assemblyconstructed in accordance with the present invention, and showing theblind in a "closed condition;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional elevation taken on the line2-2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one end of a group of the slats andbottom rail equipped with the cord-connecting devices of the presentinvention;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of one of the slats and itscord-attaching device, with the ring of the attaching device turned 90from its normal position relative to the main slat-engaging portion ofthe device, for purposes of illustration,

'and

Figs. 5 and 6, respectively, illustrate details of the means forattaching the lower ends of the elevating cords to the opposite ends,respectively, of the bottom rail of the blind.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings, the head casing of the blind is illustratedat I. For detailed descripl tion of the head casing, reference is madeto the applicants copending application Serial No.

322,604, led March 6, 1940, and his issuedy 'o United StatesA LettersPatent No. 2,220,796, dated November 6, 1940.

As disclosed in the above-noted copending application, the head casingcontains a tilt shaft 2 which is provided with ladder tape supports 3,3, to which the upper ends of the main straps 4, 4 of the ladder tapesare connected. The mainv straps 4, 4 of each ladder tape, as usual, areconn nected at spaced intervals by cross-straps 5, 5

on which the slats 6, -normally rest. The lower.

ends of the ladder tape straps 4, 4, as usual, are connected to thebottom rail 'I of the blind.

Normally, the elevating cords of a Venetian blind pass around pulleys inthe head casing and e, downwardly through aligned openings in theYslats, between the main straps 4, 4 of the ladder tapes the inner edgesof the relatively staggered cross-straps 5, 5, whereby the elevatingcords are 'at least partially hidden from view. However, such anarrangement makes it impossible to remove the slats without dismantlinga considerable portion of the mechanism of the blind. Furthermore, sucharrangement makes it impossible to tilt the slats transversely to asufficient extent t0 bring the edges of adjacent slats into overlappingcontact with each other. Thus, the blind can never be actually closed,because of the elevating cords lying between the slats when the slatsare tilted transversely.

In accordance with the present invention, the elevating cords 8, 8 aredisposed beyond the opposite ends 9, 9 of the slats 6, 6. The lower endsof the cords 8, 8 are pivotally attached to the opposite endsrespectively of the bottom rail -1, as illustrated at I0 in Fig. 3.

The cords 8, 8 pass upwardly along the side edges of the blind, as awhole, slightly beyondv the ends 9, 9 of the slats 6, 6 and over pulleyIl, Il in the head casing l, then around a pulley I 2 located ln andforming part of the cord-locking device I3, from whence the cordsdepend, side by side, to a position within reach of a person desiring toraise or lower the blind. f

The cord-locking device for maintaining the dition forms no part of thepresent invention and may be of any desired construction, such forexample,. as disclosed in the applicants abovenoted copendingapplication.

As shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4, each end 9 of each slat 6, is detachablyconnected to an adjacently disposed elevating cord 8 by a small andrather inconspicuous device I5, each of which comprises a U-shapedspring clip I6, having the legs I1, I1 substantially parallel to and infirm gripping relation to the opposite faces respectivelyA of one of theslats 6, with the cross piece I8 of the clip, which connects the legsI1, I1, abutting against the end 9 of the slat.

The cord 8 passes through a ring 20 which forms part of the connectingdevice I 5 and which is pivotally connectedto the clip I6 by a rivet I9or its equivalent, by which the ring may turn to any necessary positionwithout kinking or otherwise disturbing the rectilinear condition of thecord 8 `when the slat is tilted about the axis of the ring pivot I9 fromthe fully open tion of Figs. 1 and 2, or to any intermediate position.

Each ring 20 is upset and oifset at one side to provide a fiat surface2I thereon for fiat bearing contact with the cross piece I8 of thespring clip I6.

One or both of the legs I1 of the spring clip I6, 'may, if desired, beprovided on its inner face with a protuberance 22 which is adapted tofit into a recess formed in the face of the slat 6 against which the legI1 bears more firmly to resist relative movement between the clip I6 andthe slat when the blind is fully assembled.

When it is desired to remove a slat 6 from the blind, for any purposewhatsoever, it is only necessary to spring the legs I1, I1 of the clip I6 upwardly to a slight extent to remove the protuberance 22 from therecesses 23 in the slat 6, whereupon the devices I5, I5 at the oppositeends respectively of the slat may be readily slipped off the ends oftheslat, whereupon, the slat may be moved lengthwise out of the laddertapes 4, 4 of the blind, merely by turning the `slat vertically on edgeor by pressing the elevating cord to one side or the other to permitsuch lengthwise movement of the slat. The connecting device I5 remainsattached to the cord 8 for reconnecting the slat to the elevating cordwhen the slat is replaced in the blind.

The lower ends of the cords 8, 8 are attached or anchored to the bottomrail 1 in the manner shown in Figs. 3, 5 and 6, so as to permit the endsof the cords to be detached therefrom for threading of the eyes 20, 20of the connecting devices I5, I5 onto the cords 8, or for removal of theeyes or rings 20 from the cords when desired, while still permitting thebottom rail 1 to tilt freely during opening or closing of the blind bylateral tilting of the slats 6.

As shown in Fig. 5, the lower end of the cord 6 is turned to form a loop24. The loop 24 is passed through an anchorage clamp 25 between the body26 and oppositely extending tongues 21, 21 thereof.

The ends 28, 28 of the tongues 21 are spaced apart in alignment with anopening 29 formed in the body 26, for reception of a screw or equivalentspindle 30, by which each one: of the clamps 25 is pivotally mounted oneach end of the bottom rail 1.

position shown in Fig. 3 to the fully closed posi- The head 3I of thepivot screw 30 also serves to pivotally'secure a cap 32 in place tocover the looped end of the cord 8 and the clamp 25.

The anchorage clamps 25 may be formed of spring metal to grip the cord 8resiliently or the clamps may be made of a less resilient material, bywhich the tongues 21 will retain any position to which they may be bentto squeeze or grip the cord 8 tightly to prevent slippage thereof aroundthe pivot 30.

If desired, each end of the bottom rail 1 may be provided with an ornateferrule 33 secured to the rail by screws 34, 34.

I claim: A

1. A Venetian blind comprising a series of vertically spaced horizontalslats, a pair of cords extending vertically adjacent the opposite endsrespectively of the slats, a series of rings through which said cordspass, a series of spring clips detachably mounted on the ends of theslats, means pivotally connecting said rings to said clips respectively,each clip'comprising a pair of substantially parallel legs frictionallyengaging the opposite faces respectively of the slat on which the clipis mounted, and a cross piece connecting said legs and engaging the endsurface of the slat, each ring comprising an offset fiat portion inparallel abutting relation to the cross piece of the clip, and saidpivotal connecting means comprising a rivet passing through said flatportion of the ring and said cross piece of the clip.

2. A device for use in a Venetian blind, comprising a spring clip, aring, and a rivet pivotally connecting the ring to the clip for thepurpose described.

3. A device for use in a Venetian blind, comprising a spring clipincluding a, pair of relatively spaced legs and a cross piece connectingsaid legs'at one end thereof, a ring including a flat offset surfaceengaging said cross piece, and a rivet passing through said cross pieceand the fiat portion of the ring for pivotally connecting the twotogether. f

4. A device for use in a Venetian blind, comprising a spring clipincluding a pair of relatively spaced legs and a cross piece connectingsaid legs at one end thereof, a protuberance on at least one of saidlegs between said legs and projecting from the one leg 4toward the otherof said legs. a ring including a flat offset surface engaging said crosspiece, and a rivet passing through said cross piece and the flat portionof the ring for pivotally connecting the two together.

5. A Venetian blind comprising a horizontal bottom rail, a series ofvertically spaced horizontal slats above said bottom rail, a pair ofvertically extending elevating cords adjacent the opposite endsrespectively of said bottom rail and said slats, an anchorage clampincluding a cord pinching tongue securing said clamp on the end of eachcord adjacent the bottom rail, and means pivotally connecting saidanchorage clamp to said bottom rail.

6. A Venetian blind comprising a horizontal bottom rail, a series ofvertically spaced horizontal slats above said bottom rail, a pair ofvertically extending elevating cords adjacent the opposite endsrespectively of said bottom rail and said slats, an anchorage clamp onthe end of each cord adjacent the bottom rail, a cap covering the end ofthe cord and the anchorage clamp, and common means pivotally connectingsaid anchorage clamp and said cap to said bottom rail.

portion and a pair of tongues extending in oppoi0 site directions fromand bent backwardly over said body portion in spaced relation thereto,with the opposite ends of the tongues spaced apart in alignment with vanopening in said body portion for the passage of said pivotal connectingmeans,y the end of the cord passing around said pivotal' connectingmeans and between the body portion 'and the bent portions of the tonguesfor anchoring the endy of the cord in the clamp.

WALTER J. STUBER.

